An Opposite Future: An Alternate Love
by Tigress of the Moon
Summary: What would've happened if just a few changes were made in DBZ history? What if Gohan never met Videl, but someone else, someone much different. This is the story of Veracia and Gohan and their lives together. R&R! Full of romance, humor, and violence too
1. Prologue

An Alternate Love  
  
**Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z, but I do own Veracia,Serakusa, and Sorokuri, along with various teachers. They are my property and my characters. All the rest (aka the ones from DBZ) are not mine...although I wish they were. *sigh* But anyway..on with the fanfic. Enjoy! Ja ne!**  
  
Prologue:  
  
They say that life's a long, twisting, winding road, with many paths branching out from the main, many different decisions to be made along the road of life. But what would've happened if, at some point in your life, you went left instead of right? Your future would be altered forever. It's as simple as choosing a different type of cereal for breakfast, you could choke and die on one kind, but live a long and happy life if you eat the other. Or what if you decided to take a different route to school? You could run into someone, make a new friend, and change that person's life as well as your own. Something as thoughtless as tripping on a crack in the sidewalk could end up with you in the arms of your future love. Life can change drastically just from simple changes, things you would never thinks twice about. Chi-chi and Vegeta made such decisions on the paths they chose. (Author's note: Don't worry they don't end up together). Simple things made them change their minds, altering their future, and the lives of their children, forever...  
  
What would've happened if Gohan never went to Orange Star High School, if Chi-Chi home-schooled him until he was 18? And what if Vegeta didn't stay with Bulma, but left her for someone else?...Pan and Bra don't exist in this world because the slightest changes occurred in the minds of Vegeta and Chi-chi. (Trunks still exists in this world, but in a different way than before.) Chi-Chi, believing that high school would be to easy for Gohan, and that people would be terrified of him because he was a Super Saiyan, home- schooled him all the way through high school. There never was a Great Saiyaman, only Fidel protected Satan City. Even though the paths of her and Gohan sometimes crossed, they never saw each other in the same light as they did in the other world. Vegeta, deciding that Bulma was too bossy, and that he could never truly love one of Kakarot's best friends, left her for a woman he'd met just months after pairing up with Bulma, Serakusa. He married her and they had a daughter named Veracia. At age 25, Gohan decided to move away from home and find a job in Satan city. This is where the story picks up, as Gohan meets Veracia for the first time, the beginning of the rest of their lives... 


	2. Chapter 1: Love at first SightThe Meetin...

An Opposite Future: An Alternate Love  
  
**Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or any of it's characters. I only own the characters that I made up myself. And for those who were wondering, I have 26 pages, back and front, written out, unfortunately, not on the computer, which is why this is taking so long. But the more reviewes I get, the sooner the other chapters get posted. Also note, this is the REVISED version of Chapter 1 because I got bored, so I decided to change it a bit! Enjoy! ;)  
  
*Warning: If by reading this your opinions of certain characters, or myself, are altered. It is not my fault. This story is the result of a long vacation combined with boredom...and stuff that's best not know...Well, enjoy!*  
  
Chapter 1: Love at First Sight/ The Meeting  
  
Veracia thought as she ran down the street to her school.   
  
Gohan, peering down form the sky above, noticed a "For Rent" sign in an apartment window below him. he thought as he began to land, to look at what could possibly be his new home. He didn't notice the girl that was running blindly behind him, or hear her screams of apology to the poor people that got in her way. He didn't notice her until he had the wind completely knocked out of him, and was doubling over in pain, as she stopped in front of him, trying to apologize.  
  
"I'm really sorry," she began. I can't believe I did this again! Well, at least this one won't end up in the hospital like the last one, she thought.  
  
As Gohan peered up, he noticed a young girl in front of him, about 15 or 16 years old, with a worried look on her face. As his vision sharpened, he realized just how beautiful she was. She had deep, dark, ebony colored hair that just about fell upon her shoulders and shone a deep purple when the sun touched it just right. Her eyes shone a deep, silvery blue and looked like they could even see into your soul. Gohan blushed, not knowing what to say.  
  
When Veracia looked up, the same thing happened, she just stopped mumbling her apology and looked at him. His hair was short and black, somewhat spiked, but had been gelled to look almost perfect. His eyes were black, and looked kind and seeing, like he would forgive almost anyone who harmed him.  
  
Gohan broke the long silence. "It's okay, I'm used to it," he said.  
  
"You're used to getting plowed into by young, high school girls?" Veracia asked jokingly. I  
  
"No," said Gohan as he began to laugh. "Just used to taking an impact...but that's another story," he said with a smile. "Say, you looked like you were in a hurry before."  
  
Veracia looked down at her watch and realized that, yes, she had been in a hurry before and that now she was very late.  
  
"Oh, Shimata!" she muttered. "Well, I'm officially late for school. So much for that calculus exam, oh well...But still, I should probably should be going," and she prepared to start running, but Gohan stopped her.  
  
"Hey, would you like a lift to school?" Gohan asked, still slightly blushing.  
  
"Uhh, sure," she replied, feeling like she could trust him. "Do you have a car here somewhere?"  
  
"No," said Gohan, smiling. "I had something different in mind." With that, he put both his hands on her waist and began to rise into the air. The street was soo busy that almost no one noticed, and the few who did, rubbed their eyes in disbelief, told themselves that they were seeing things, and kept on walking.  
  
"Whoa!" Veracia yelled as they started rising higher and higher into the air, until they were above the clouds. "My dad told me that he used to fly, but I didn't believe him, I thought he just lost it."  
  
"What?" Gohan asked, almost dropping Veracia. "Who-who's your father? What's his name?"  
  
"Vegeta, why?" with that, he did drop Veracia. "Shimata! Nimbus!" and the Nimbus came flying in and caught her right before she broke the barrier of clouds. "I'm re-really sorry," he began.  
  
"It's okay," said Veracia. Gohan's eyes widened in surprise. "We're even now because you see...well..the last person that I rammed into, like I did with you, ended up in the hospital for a week. Plus, I don't think the fall would've killed me, something about being a Saiyan, whatever that is, I guess would've prevented it."  
  
"Yeah, you're right. You probably would've broken a leg or something...But anyway, should we go on to your school?"  
  
"Well, first period is already almost half way over, and if I go into class now, it'll be considered a cut anyway, but you could just drop me off if you want...But not literally!"  
  
Gohan laughed and smiled at Veracia. "No, I'm the reason you're late, so I'll stay with you for awhile...Wait, you should be able to fly."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You're half Saiyan like me, so I think I should probably, teach you how sometime. Everyone who can should learn how to fly."  
  
"But I don't even know your name! Why are you being so nice to me?"  
  
"Well, I know your father. Plus, you seem like a good person to me," said Gohan. I can't believe this is the daughter of Vegeta! She looks nothing like him and she has the same type of kindness in her heart, that also lies in mine.  
  
"Okay,...well, my name's Veracia Shiresoku. And your's is?..."  
  
"Oh, my name's Gohan Son."  
  
"You're...you're Go-goku's son...Uh oh...um...This is bad..."  
  
"What? What'd I say?"  
  
"Um, let's just say my father isn't very fond of you," she said, as she thought. "He kind-of, sort-of, tried rasing me so I'd hate your guts, and um...well, let's just say he doesn't want you alive, to put it nicely."  
  
Gohan laughed, "Your father never really did like me much. Hmm...So maybe we should keep our meeting a secret then?"  
  
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Veracia said, right before she looked down at her watch again. "Well, first period should be ending soon, would you mind dropping me off."  
  
"Sure," he said, as he lifted her off the Nimbus, bringing her the rest of the way to school. "Bye Veracia," he said as they were about to land.  
  
"Bye Gohan," she said, and then kissed him on the cheek.  
  
He looked stunned for a moment before he waved goodbye and took off into the clouds.  
  
"Wow, you really don't meet too many guys like that. I sure hope I run into him again," Veracia said as she opened the side door to her school and slipped into the hallway, unnoticed, just as the bell initializing passing rung...  
  
***  
  
As Gohan broke the cloud barrier, he floated on his back, slowly moving towards the forest of his childhood home.  
  
I wonder what Mom will think of her? Will she like her?...Wait...What am I saying!...She's at least nine or ten years younger than I am!...And yet, she's like no one I've ever met before...And Vegeta's daughter...Wow, that's kind of scary. Who would've thought that Vegeta would have offspring the exact opposite of the way he is?  
  
Gohan flipped over so he was flying on his stomach, skimming the top of the clouds.   
  
Gohan started laughing as he pictured Vegeta with a scowl on his face, arms crossed, while Veracia would have a smile on her face and would be waving. Then, she she would elbow Vegeta for not smiling, and keep on waving. Vegeta would show the beginnings of a smile, but then go back to his normal scowl.  
  
I think I'll keep this a secret. I don't need anyone else knowing about this. I'll try to catch her as she's coming out of school at 2:30...Maybe I could convince her to take flying lessons... Gohan headed off into the deep forests around his home to think and work some things out while...  
  
***  
  
Veracia was just sitting down at lunch with her friends Trunks, Goten, and Serokuri, as she thought about Gohan yet again. She sighed lightly as she sat down, and they could see, from the look on her face, that Veracia had another crush. Serokuri sensed something different about this one though, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Something about Veracia had changed, she just couldn't figure out what.  
  
Trunks started with her first.  
  
"Don't tell me you have another crush Veracia!"  
  
"You just had one last week! On that kid, what's his name...Korokuno? Koresuvo? Konevero?"  
  
All Veracia did was sigh a love filled sigh, looking off dreamily into space.  
  
"Veracia...Veracia?"said Serokuri. Then she nodded at Trunks and Goten, and all of them yelled out, at the same time...  
  
"VERACIA!!"  
  
Veracia then slowly came back into reality.  
  
"Huh, oops, sorry," Veracia said, beginning to blush. "How long was it this time?"  
  
"Five minutes, and all of us had to yell your name as loud as we could, at the same time, and it still took you a while to get out of it," said Serokuri.  
  
"This is bad," Veracia muttered to herself.  
  
"Veracia, you have never gotten this bad," said Goten.  
  
"I haven't?"  
  
With that, Goten, Trunks, and Serokuri, all dropped their heads on to the table, sweat drops forming on the sides of their heads.  
  
"Veracia, you're hopeless," Trunks said, as they picked themselves up from the table.  
  
"Veracia, who is it this time?" asked Goten.  
  
"Uh...I rather not say..."  
  
"Veracia...," said Serokuri, like a mother demanding an answer from her child.  
  
"Err...Um...He's...Well...You see...He's kind-of, sort-of...older than I am?"  
  
"Don't tell me you have a crush on a senior again? Veracia, you know what happened the last time. Why must-," began Serokuri.  
  
"No, not a senior."  
  
"Okay, well that's good," said Trunks. "At least we won't have to deal with one of those situations again."  
  
"Um...think older." With that Goten got this really worried look on his face.  
  
Trunks then noticed the worried look on Goten's face, and then he realized why Goten was worried.   
  
"Are you sure you really want to know?"  
  
"Yes," said Serokuri.  
  
"No!" yelled Trunks and Goten at the same time.  
  
"What? Why? How come? Wait...," and then Serokuri though the same thing that Trunks and Goten did. "No Veracia...it isn't...it's not...it can't be..."  
  
"Who is it?" they all asked at the same time.  
  
"Why do you guys look so scared. You probably don't know him...but I still have a feeling that I'm going to regret this." Veracia took a deep breath and then let it out. "His name is Gohan."  
  
With that, Trunks, Goten and Serokuri all looked like they were going to drop dead. Instead, they got these really scared looks on their faces.  
  
"Serokuri, you wouldn't believe how hot he is, I almost died."  
  
Goten covered his ears and started screaming. "Ahh! I don't need to, nor want to, hear this!" While Serokuri started backing away and Trunks' eyes glazed over, with a horrified look on his face.  
  
Trunks was imagining Veracia and Gohan, as them as a couple, as dating and kissing. He tried to shake the thoughts from his head as he came back to reality. He almost threw up his hamburger and fries he had just eaten. Gohan was his sensei, his teacher, and one of his best friends, and now he and Veracia could become a couple? He couldn't shake the thoughts loose from his head and he felt as the food in his stomach started to churn violently. Without a word he got up and ran from the table, clutching his mouth, and his stomach.  
  
He didn't make it to the toilet and ended up throwing up all over the floor of the boy's bathroom. He crawled over to the sink, still holding his stomach, pulled himself up, grabbing hold of the edge of the sink, almost pulling it out of the wall. He stood up, looked into the mirror, and splashed some cold water on his face, the thoughts repeating over and over again in his brain.  
  
He vomited again before he shakily made his way back to the cafeteria.  
  
"What's wrong with you guys? Especially Trunks. Did I miss something?"  
  
"Veracia, I swear. Sometimes your absentmindedness scares me," said Serokuri.  
  
Goten, realizing that Veracia had stopped talking, decided to tell her why it was so wrong. "Veracia," Goten managed to say, in between gags. "Gohan is my brother."  
  
From what Goten and Serokuri could see, Veracia didn't react to this new information at all. But she did. Her eyes glazed over as she went into the deep recesses of her mind, wondering what she should do now. She loved him more than she had loved anyone else before him. What would she do now?  
  
Thoughts swam in and out of her mind. I love him...I know I met him only a few hours ago, but who doesn't believe in love at first sight!...But should I try not to since he's Goten older brother?...He's got to be at least 10 years older than me, but does it really matter?...I've never felt so intensely about a guy before, especially one that I've just met...What does it mean?...What should I do?...Where should I turn...I love him.  
  
***  
  
Gohan was wandering through the woods, trying to make sense of his feelings, to work out his thoughts. He laid down in a small clearing in a thick patch of deep woods. The tall grass towered above his head as he peered up at the noon sky. White, fluffy clouds passed by the sun every now and then, but for the most part, the sky stayed clear and bright.  
  
Gohan worried. "Dad, I wish you were here to help me. You'd help me know what to do, how to react, what to say," Gohan said as he sat up, holding his head in his hands. he thought as he flopped back down into the grass. "What should I do?" He looked towards the sky for an answer, but he already knew what he must do. I'll go back to her school I'll wait for her on the roof until her school gets out. It's the only thing I can think of doing with myself now. So I guess this is what they mean when they say "love sick."...  
  
***  
  
"Veracia! Veracia!"  
  
Veracia came back to reality with Serokuri shaking her violently.  
  
"Huh, what? Oops, sorry. I really have to stop doing that."  
  
"Yeah, we know," said Goten. Serokuri gave him an annoyed glance but then turned back to look at Veracia.  
  
"Veracia? I think we might have a problem...Just how do you feel about him? Exactly?...Goten, you might want to either plug your ears really well, or leave the table. I doubt you will want to hear this."  
  
"Yeah, you're definitely right. I'm going to see how Trunks is taking this, I think he might've puked," with that, he took off as fast as he could in the other direction.  
  
"Now Veracia, tell me everything."...  
  
***  
  
Gohan was flying for about twenty minutes before he reached Orange Star High School. He tried to stay above the clouds so no one would see him, but everyone was inside anyway. It was only 12:15pm, two hours and 15 minutes before Veracia would be getting out of school.  
  
So he headed for the part of the school roof that faced the back and stood there, letting the wind blow through his hair and listening to the wind whistle though the trees and rustle their leaves. He laughed as he watched two birds chasing one another, playing in the cool, clean spring air. He watched them until they were tiny dots in the distance. He then decided to take a nap on the warm tar of the roof. Since he was so anxious to see Veracia, he used a method he figured out long ago to get some rest. He laid down on the tar, went totally limp, and was soon in a light sleep, calming down his anxiousness and excitement to nothing more than a slight smile...  
  
***  
  
"I need to know exactly how you feel about him."  
  
"But...But why? Why does it matter? It's probably your normal, everyday crush," Veracia said, trying to manage a smile, but failing.  
  
"Veracia, I can tell that's not it. I think he touched you deeper, much deeper than the surface. It feels like he's touched the deepest part of your heart, doesn't it? You can't stop thinking about hm and just thinking about not ever seeing him again makes you want to break down and cry."  
  
"That's exactly, but how..."  
  
"Veracia, this is much more serious than you think. This is not a crush. You are in love. We might have a problem."  
  
"What do you mean 'a problem'," Veracia asked with a worried look on her face, and a tremble in her heart.  
  
"Veracia, I've seen you though all your crushes and all your boyfriends. Each one of them you liked, but they never touched you deep in your heart. They may have skimmed the surface, but never go deeper than that. This one has touched the depths of your heart, and you will hold him there forever."  
  
"Are you serious?" Veracia asked, her jaw had dropped and she was staring wide eyed at Serokuri.  
  
"Why wouldn't I be? Veracia, if it's one thing I know about, it's love."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Trust me, it's safer not to ask." She looked at Veracia the entire time she thought this, smiling as her eyes turned glossy with tears, but soon returned to normal.  
  
"Veracia, your heart has bonded with his, and you will love him forever. I know this seems odd, considering you're so young and all, but my mother fell in love with my father around the same age you are, and I have even experienced this kind of love myself."  
  
"But what am I supposed to do? We have to stay in school until 2:30 and I...wait. I have a study hall at the end of the day! I could probably sneak out of school early...No, someone, would see me."  
  
"Well, you could go to the roof and wait until the end of school up there."  
  
"Yeah, it is really nice up there this time of year. I think that's what I'll do."  
  
Veracia spotted Goten walking into the cafeteria with a pale-looking Trunks behind him. Trunks sat down next to Veracia, and Goten sat next to Serokuri.  
  
"Trunks, are you okay?" Veracia asked him. She was worried about him. They were close friends. She thought more of him as a brother, really, than anything else.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Trunks said as he coughed, like he was going to vomit again. "It's just that...Veracia, I think of you as my sister, and Gohan is my best friend and my sensei. When I pictured the two of you together, well, my stomach couldn't handle it. Two of my best friends possible becoming lovers? Oh no, that doesn't make me too sick to my stomach."  
  
"Err...sorry about that Trunks, I guess I'm more absent minded than I thought...oops. My brain just never puts two and two together. Which here, is a bad thing. I'm not the brightest crayon in the shed...No wait, that's not right, not the brightest tool in the box...No...," Veracia joked, trying to get Trunks into a lighter mood.  
  
It worked, and Trunks got some color back in his cheeks. He was laughing for a few minutes, until the bell signalling the end of lunch rang, and they all had to go to their sixth period classes.  
  
Veracia was off to history, which she was really bad in to begin with. This was only enhanced by the fact that she was thinking and day dreaming about Gohan the entire period. Her teacher did not think too highly of this, so whenever her eyes looked glazed over, or like they were about to be, her teacher, Mrs. Kronara, would ask her a question.  
  
"Ms. Shiresoku, what was the capital of New York in 1988?"  
  
"Huh? Uh, Boston?"  
  
"No, Boston isn't even in New York, it's in Massachusetts! Anyone else?"  
  
But Veracia had space out before she heard the answer, thinking about the one and only person who had ever touched her so deeply.  
  
She came back hearing the loud crack of Ms. Kronara's ruler on her desk, and the first thing she saw was a wooden ruler about two inches away from the bridge of her nose. Startled, she tried to move her desk backwards, but because it had no front legs, it tipped backwards, causing her to hit her head against the linoleum floor.  
  
"Now stop fooling around and head off to your next class Ms. Shiresoku. The bell has tolled."  
  
"All right, all right. I'm going," Veracia muttered to the teacher before she slowly made her way to, and through the door.  
  
She went to her locker to put her history book away and get the ones she needed for her next class, when she realized she had study hall next. She threw the books and binders she needed for homework into her backpack, grabbed her jacket, and headed towards the little known, and little used, spiral staircase to the roof, at a long abandoned part of the school.  
  
When she reached the top, she quickly, but silently threw open the door that led to the roof and silently shut it behind her.  
  
She took a deep, cleansing breath of air from the black tarred roof of her school, closing her eyes as she did so. She loved coming up to the roof during her study halls, breathing the fresh, clean, woodsy smelling air, with the slightest tint of hot tar. Veracia instinctively moved to the edge of the roof and stood on it, holding onto a pole for support. The roof didn't just end, but there was a slight cement edge, about eight inches wide and three feet tall, that she liked to stand on, and peer down at the patch of woods behind the school, watching the squirrels jump and listen to the birds sing.  
  
Gohan startled her when he silently stepped up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. She lost her balance and almost fell over the edge, but Gohan caught her as she fell backwards, into his arms. He looked into her blue eyes lovingly before he set her down on her feet. She looked back up at him and seemed like she was going to say something, but stopped after she opened her mouth. Instead she turned around and looked back at the forest, putting her elbows on the cement ledge and her head in her hands.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked him, still staring at the forest.  
  
"Yeah. I love nature. When I was little, I lived in this house in the middle of this huge forest. City life is going to take a lot of getting used to for me."  
  
"Mmm," she said, nodding her head. "I'd go insane without the forest and all the animals. They make he feel so...peaceful."  
  
Gohan thought to himself. He leaned on the wall with her and she moved over slightly and leaned on him, her head resting on his shoulder.  
  
Gohan blushed and looked away, but he was drawn back by her deep blue eyes, now appearing almost green, seeming to reflect the forest below.  
  
"I was wondering," Gohan said, looking out at the horizon, at the forest, but then Veracia, since she was looking up at him. "How would you like to go out on a date with me? Tonight?"  
  
"Sure, I'd love to. Since today's Friday and all."  
  
"Great, I'll pick you up at seven?"  
  
"Um...I don't think that's a good idea, since my father wants to kill you...badly."  
  
"Point taken. How about halfway down the block?"  
  
"Sure, I'll meet you at the corner of Main Street and Tora Lane at 7:00, okay?"  
  
"All right."  
  
"So, what do you want to do now?"  
  
"How about I work on trying to teach you how to fly."  
  
"Here? Now?"  
  
"Well, not here, but there is this nice place in the mountains where no one will see us or catch us."  
  
"Sure, sounds like a good idea to me."  
  
"Okay, let's go!" Gohan said, as he lifted her into his arms and flew with her towards the forest of his childhood home.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Well, that's it for Chapter 1, the revised version! I revised Chapter 2, too! Oh, and please review! I don't care if you think it sucked, review! But keep in mind this was one of the first, if not the first, fanfic I ever wrote and my writing style has changed a lot since this fic. Thanks! 


	3. Chapter 2: Falling Deeper in Love With Y...

An Opposite Future: An Alternate Love  
  
*Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ...But I do own characters like Veracia, Serokuri, and Serakusa, so please don't use them without my permission!!*  
  
Chapter 2: Falling Deeper in Love with You  
  
Veracia clung closely to Gohan throughout the trip, her arms hung loosely around his neck. They didn't talk much on the way there. Veracia kept looking up into his caring, loving eyes, and every once in a while, he would look down into her deep blue ones. At one point she almost fell asleep in his arms. She felt so secure with him, that she could trust him forever. She could feel the immense amount of power that lay almost completely hidden deep inside him and sense it in his strong arms that he held her in. She wanted to stay like this forever. She knew, in the back of her mind that he was a total stranger, but she felt like she had known him her entire life, and although she didn't want to think of it as they "were meant to be," she knew this was true and snuggled even closer to him as they moved onward towards the forest.  
  
Gohan looked down at her as she tried to snuggle even closer to him. It felt odd at first, but it soon made him feel peaceful and happy. He could feel her heart beating against his own, and realized that they were beating in the same rythem, that they were in sync with one another. Even though Gohan had only known this girl for not even an entire day, he already knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and never leave her side. Gohan looked down into her eyes one again, sensing that the same love he felt for her, she felt for him.  
  
It was then that they arrived at the forest, and Gohan picked a small clearing, far away from Chi-Chi, to land. As he gently placed her, standing up, onto the small meadow's wild grasses and flowers, he pushed a strand of loose hair that had blown into her face behind her ear. Veracia caught his hand and held it against her cheek. They stood there for a moment, staring into each other's eyes, before Gohan bent his head downward, and Veracia tilted hers up, and they kissed, passionately, for a few moments.  
  
When they parted, Veracia looked up into Gohan's eyes, yet again, and held his face in her hand, then lightly stroking his cheek. She sat down in the high grass of the field and then laid, staring up into the bright blue sky. Tears started to well up in her eyes and slowly trickle down her cheeks as she thought about how she wanted to stay in this moment forever, but she knew her father would never let her date his arch enemy. she thought, as the tears streamed down her face even faster than before. Gohan sat down beside her and wiped the tears form her cheek with his hand.  
  
"I know, I know," he said to her gently, as he lifted her up so she could sit beside him. She leaned on him, her head on his shoulder, dampening his shirt with her tears. Gohan gently wiped the tears from her eyes and, tilting her face towards his, kissed her gently on the lips. She fell asleep, her head resting on Gohan's heart, and her arms on his chest.  
  
I could stay awake just to hear you breathing -Gohan looked at her lovingly and ran his fingers through her hair.  
  
Watch you smile while you are sleeping  
  
While you're far away and dreaming -He looked into her face, knowing that he would always love her.  
  
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender  
  
I could stay lost in this moment forever -He wished they could always be like this, but knew it would never be.  
  
Well, every moment I spend with you  
  
Is a moment I treasure -I Gohan said, tears welling up in his eyes. I wish I could never leave your side, but I know that will never be. I just want to be with you. That's all. But I can't even have that for long, not with your father.  
  
I don't wanna close my eyes  
  
I don't wanna fall asleep  
  
'Cause I'd miss you baby  
  
And I don't wanna miss a thing -Gohan still kept looking at the sleeping Veracia, even though his eyelids started to droop and sleep began to claim him.  
  
'Cause even when I dream of you  
  
The sweetest dream would never do -  
  
I'd still miss you baby  
  
And I don't want to miss a thing -I  
  
Lying close to you  
  
Feeling your heart beating -Gohan could feel Veracia's heart beating in rythem with his.  
  
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming  
  
Wondering if its me you're seeing -  
  
Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together -Gohan kissed her eyelids gently. They fluttered, but she still slept.  
  
I just wanna stay with you  
  
In this moment forever, forever and ever -I've never been this happy, Veracia. I don't want this day to end, ever.  
  
I don't wanna close my eyes  
  
I don't wanna fall asleep  
  
'Cause I'd miss you baby  
  
And I don't wanna miss a thing -Gohan felt sleep claiming him again, and this time he yawned, but still kept his eyes open, fearing that if he closed them and opened them again, she'd be gone.  
  
'Cause even when I dream of you  
  
The sweetest dream would never do -  
  
I'd still miss you baby  
  
And I don't want to miss a thing - Gohan asked himself, wiping more tears from his eyes.  
  
I don't wanna miss one smile  
  
I don't wanna miss one kiss -Gohan remembered the kiss they had shared just minutes before.  
  
Well, I just wanna stay with you  
  
Right here with you, just like this -He longed just to lie here with Veracia sleeping on him, with her with him, forever.  
  
I just wanna hold you close  
  
Fell your heart so close to mine -He felt the warmth from her body press against his own.  
  
And just stay here in this moment  
  
For all the rest of time -  
  
Don't wanna close my eyes  
  
Don't wanna fall asleep -Gohan forced his eyes to stay open, even as the world blurred around him and his head spun.  
  
'Cause I'd miss you baby  
  
And I don't wanna miss a thing -He stroked her cheek, thinking of how later on they must part.  
  
'Cause even when I dream of you  
  
The sweetest dream would never do -  
  
'Cause I'd still miss you baby  
  
And I don't want to miss a thing -I'll still keep loving you 'til the day I die.  
  
I don't wanna close my eyes  
  
I don't wanna fall asleep  
  
'Cause I'd miss you baby  
  
And I don't wanna miss a thing  
  
'Cause even when I dream of you  
  
The sweetest dream would never do  
  
I'd still miss you, baby  
  
And I don't want to miss a thing  
  
Don't wanna close my eyes  
  
Don't wanna fall asleep  
  
I don't want to miss a thing  
  
I don't want to miss a thing...- I  
  
He fell asleep soon after with his left arm around her waist. Their hearts and breathing were in sync with each other as they slept together, in the warm spring afternoon.  
  
Gohan was the first to wake, and as he peered skyward, he noticed that night had settled upon the forest, and the sky was thick with stars. He also noticed the four pairs of glowing eyes that stared hungrily at them from the forest's edge.  
  
"Veracia," he whispered, trying to wake her up. "Veracia," he said in a normal voice, gently shaking her shoulder.  
  
"Hmm? What?" she said, rubbing her eyes. "Oh, oops, guess I fell asleep, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, but we have to go now."  
  
"Why?" she asked, looking around. She too then noticed that night had fallen, but not the glowing eyes, only yards away.  
  
"Come on," he said, climbing to his feet, and then raising Veracia to hers. "Let's go." He lifted her into his arms and they took off into the deep blue velvet sky.  
  
"Are you going to bring me home?" she asked Gohan.  
  
"I'm not sure that that's such a good idea. I don't think it's early in the evening, more like late at night."  
  
"Well, I doubt they'll worry about me that much. They know I normally stay out late on Friday nights, and sometimes even...Gohan, could I possibly sleep over your house?..."  
  
"I don't think that's such a good idea. My mom might get suspicious."  
  
"Umm...Gohan? There's something I forgot to tell you..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Doesn't the name 'Veracia' sound familiar at all?"  
  
"Well, yeah, sort-of."  
  
"And how many 'Veracias' do you know?"  
  
"Well one...It's not that common of a name...wait...doesn't Goten?..."  
  
"Yep, that would be me. I've been one of Goten's best friends for about 2 years now. And don't drop me this time!"  
  
"No, I won't," he said, as he shuddered. "I'm in love with my little brother's best friend...I wonder how he's going to take this? I won't drop you, but that little piece of information just made this situation a whole lot weirder."  
  
"Yeah, Trunks didn't take it well either," and then Gohan stopped flying all together.  
  
"Wait...You know Trunks too?"   
  
"Became fiends with him the same time I met Goten."  
  
"Okay, we definitely are in an odd situation."  
  
"Yeah, I realized that. Well, they say love can come in some of the weirdest places?"  
  
"True. Well, I guess this would be one of those," he said with a smile. "Especially this lovely situation we're in. Now, how am I going to explain this to my mom?" he said more to himself, than to Veracia.  
  
"Well, you could say that you picked me up because Goten wanted me to come over? But we'd have to make sure that Goten is up and dressed first, so we don't look too obvious."  
  
Gohan looked down at Veracia, surprised. "You came up with that off the top of your head?!"  
  
"Well, kind-of...I sort-of twisted this situation excuse that I normally use. When I'm going to stay with a guy for a while at night, I tell my parents that I'm sleeping over a friend's house. When the date is over, I'll go to that friend's house to stay until my parents pick me up. So far, they haven't caught on. I guess you could say I'm good at things like this? And in this case...I'm actually sleeping over a friend's house, so I don't have to lie!"  
  
"And this is the same, absent-minded Veracia that my brother is constantly talking about?" Gohan asked jokingly.  
  
"Yup," Veracia said, slightly blushing.  
  
"Well, let's do it then. I sure hope this works."  
  
"Yeah, me too."  
  
Gohan flew with Veracia to the back of his house. Veracia jumped out of his arms and stood leaning on the side of the house. Gohan put his finger against his lips, signaling to be quiet, and then climbed through the open window into Goten's and his shared room (or at least the room he lived in until he found a house and a job, in Satan City).  
  
Gohan crept silently over to his brother's bed and, cupping his hand over Goten's mouth, proceeded to wake him up. When Goten opened his eyes, Gohan signaled him to be quiet, and then Goten bit him on the hand. Gohan pulled his hand back, out of surprise and looked down at his brother, clearly annoyed.  
  
"What's the big idea?" Goten asked, sitting up and stretching. "Gohan, it's 12:00 in the morning! What is your problem?!"  
  
"Is Mom still up?"  
  
"Yeah, why? You know she's a night owl."  
  
"I know. I know. Listen, go ask her if it's okay if you have Veracia sleep over. Tell her you saw Gohan, and told him to pick her up for you."  
  
"What are you nuts? Why would I do something like that?"  
  
Gohan looked away, embarrassed.  
  
"Gohan, you're not!...No way!...You're going out with my best friend?! I can't believe this! What is wrong with you?" Goten whispered angrily at him.  
  
"Please, Goten?! You have your older brother begging you! Isn't that good enough?" Goten only gave him a look that unmistakably said, 'You're joking right?' "Okay, I'll make it up to you."  
  
"How?" Goten asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity, an evil grin on his face.  
  
"Oh, I don't know, what do you want?"  
  
"The down payment on this car I want."  
  
"Are you serious?! You know I can't afford that!"  
  
"Once you get a job you should. Just start saving up," Goten said with a smile. Gohan looked like he was going to strangle him, but then his hands fell to his sides, and he drooped his head in defeat.  
  
"I knew you would agree," Goten said as he patted Gohan on the shoulder. "Now go outside and wait until I give you the signal to come in, okay?" Goten said as he pulled a shirt in over his head.  
  
"All right," Gohan said as he hopped out the window.  
  
"Mom!" Goten yelled out into the hall after he was fully dressed. "Can I have a friend sleep over tonight?"  
  
"Isn't it kind-of late to have a friend sleep over...I mean, for most normal people?" Chi-Chi yelled from the living room.  
  
"No, I already called her and her parents said it was all right."  
  
"Oh, okay. When will she be getting here?"  
  
"In about 10 minutes. I sent Gohan to go pick her up."  
  
"All right! And who's coming over or sleeping over?"  
  
"My friend Veracia, okay Mom?"  
  
"All right, dear!"  
  
Goten walked over to the open window and gave Gohan a mischevious smile.  
  
"Oh, shut up," Gohan said to Goten, as he messed up Goten's hair with his hands.  
  
"Hey!" Goten yelled, trying to quickly flatten his now overly-spiked hair. Veracia laughed as his attempt failed and his hair was sticking up in about forty different directions.  
  
"It's not funny," Goten said to Veracia, still trying to flatten his wild hair. "Do you know how much gel it takes to tame Saiyan hair?! I go through a 12 ounce bottle a day!" Veracia and Gohan were both laughing at this point.  
  
"Oh, shut up!" Goten said to gohan. "So are you guys going out now or what? Are you a couple?" Gohan and Veracia looked at one another. Veracia pulled Gohan a little ways away from the window.  
  
"One moment please," she called back to Goten.  
  
"Sure, whatever," Goten replied, resting his head on his arms, leaning on the edge of the window.  
  
Veracia walked Gohan to the edge of the woods. "Well, what do you think?" Veracia asked him, tense on what he would say.  
  
He took her hand in his, out of site of Goten. "I love you Veracia...Yes, we are a couple."  
  
"But should we tell Goten?"  
  
"Probably not...We could say that we like each other, but we're not going out or anything."  
  
"Yeah! We could pretend that we'rejust a normal teenage couple...Even though we both know our love goes deeper than that."  
  
"We don't want to kill him." Gohan and Veracia both laughed.  
  
"So we tell him that we just like one another, but aren't dating?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Okay, let's tell him, before he gets suspicious."  
  
"Hey, Goten," Gohan called out to his little brother.  
  
"Yeah?" Goten replied, standing up.  
  
"We're not going out or anything," Gohan told him.  
  
"We just like each other a bit, that's all," Veracia said with a smile.  
  
Goten looked so relieved after they said that they both laughed.  
  
"I'm just so glad that you guys aren't a couple, or an item or anything?"  
  
A sweat drop formed on the side of Veracia's and Gohan's faces. "No, no we aren't anything like that," Gohan said, waving his hand like it was no big deal. "Just...really good friends, that's all, heh heh," Gohan said, making a pathetic attempt at laughter.  
  
Goten gave him a second glance, but then relaxed again.  
  
"All right, I believe you Gohan...Well, it's been ten minutes," Goten said looking at his watch. "You guys should be arriving now, okay?"  
  
"K. Let's go Veracia," Gohan said as he picked her up and they flew over the roof of the house to the front door.  
  
Veracia looked at Gohan nervously and he did an "after you motion" after he opened the door. Veracia walked in so nervous she was almost shaking as she walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.  
  
"Good evening Mrs. Son," Veracia yelled into the kitchen, were Chi-Chi was starting to prepare a soup ahead of time for dinner the next day.  
  
"Hello Veracia, how are you doing?" Chi-Chi said as she came into the living room, wiping her hands on a dish towel.  
  
"Just fine, Mrs. Son, and you?"  
  
"I'm just great aside from the fact that Gohan has been gone all day, since early this morning, not even stopping in to say 'hello.' Isn't that right, Gohan?"  
  
"Well..um...yeah, uh...sorry Mom, I've been busy trying to find a job and an apartment in Satan City." Gohan said, trying to force a phony smile as sweat drops ran down his face.  
  
"You haven't been out with any girls all day, again have you Gohan?" he blushed slightly and gave Veracia a look that said 'it's not what you think.'  
  
"I didn't think so," Chi-Chi said with a laugh. "After all, you're not that stupid." Even more sweat drops started to form on his face as he tried to think of a way to escape from talking to Chi-Chi.  
  
"Um...Yeah, Mom. Why would I want to do that?" Gohan said with a forced laugh.  
  
"Oh, you're such a good boy Gohan! Now, why don't you tell Goten that his little friend is here."  
  
"Sure mom!" said Gohan, taking it as a way to escape. "In fact, I think I'll go play a game with them too...Come on Veracia, let's go see what game Goten would like to play with us," Gohan said as he winked at Veracia.  
  
"Um...sure...okay!" Said Veracia, quickly following him.  
  
"I have such good boys," Gohan and Veracia heard Chi-Chi say, as she talked to herself while washing the dishes. "Two good, nice, smart boys."  
  
"Okay, that was way too close," Gohan whispered to Veracia. "I thought she was going to catch me, but she still treats me like a little kid! It's really embarrassing sometimes. She's scared off all of my dates, telling them stories about my childhood and how I'm such a 'good boy.' My last date left the house screaming, I swear! And all my mom said was 'Gohan, you bring home the oddest friends'," he said, trying to imitate Chi-Chi as best he could.  
  
Veracia tried to smother her laughter, but as soon as the door to Goten and Gohan's room was opened and then closed, Veracia was almost on the floor she was laughing so hard.  
  
"She...she called you a 'good boy', like you're nine years old or something," said Veracia in between laughing.  
  
"Shut up, Veracia! She's going to come in here and ask what joke was so funny if you don't stop!" Goten yelled at her, as he picked her up, off of the floor and seated her on the edge of Gohan's bed.  
  
"Yeah, Veracia, you need to calm down," Gohan told her as well.  
  
"All...right, all right,..I'll...stop," she said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She had been laughing so hard that she had started to cry. "So, now that I'm here, what do we do now?"  
  
"I'm putting my head phones on and going back to bed," Goten said, as he slipped his head phones on over his ears and slid into bed, still fully clothed. Veracia and Gohan decided to stay silent until he was in a deep sleep, and wouldn't be awakened by their conversation.  
  
"So what do we do now?" Veracia asked Gohan, as she lightly kicked the bed mattress with her heels.  
  
"I don't know," Gohan said, as he sat down beside her. He had been sitting in a bean bag chair on the opposite side of the room so Goten wouldn't get too suspicious.  
  
Veracia went over to the window Goten had closed after their conversation had ended, and opened it, staring up at the stars in the sky.  
  
"Gohan, have you ever wondered if there's anyone else out there, other than the human race, some other sentient beings like us? Like humans?"  
  
He laughed when she was finished talking, thinking she was joking, but from the look in her eyes, he could tell she wasn't. She looked at him, looked back up at the stars, and then climbed out the window, beckoning him to follow her.  
  
"Hold on," he whispered to her as loud as he could, as he threw a blanket over his bed and some pillows to make it look like someone was sleeping there. He did the same to the bean bag chair on the other side of the door. Then he did as Veracia had done and climbed out the window.  
  
Veracia was still looking up at the stars overhead, peering at them curiosity.  
  
"How would you like an even better look at them?" Gohan whispered into the night air.  
  
"I'd love it," Veracia whispered back, so Gohan lifted her into his arms and flew off towards the ocean.  
  
"Where are we going?" she asked him, but all he did was put his finger to her lips, to let her know to be quiet. She didn't say anything until Gohan had landed, reaching his destination. Gohan had chosen a cliff that jutted out over the ocean, and the trees stopped growing far behind them.  
  
"Oh, Gohan, it's so beautiful, the way the light from the stars and the moon plays on the surface of the water. It's just perfect!" she said as she moved towards the tip of the cliff, to the very edge.  
  
She stood there, looking out over the ocean, before she closed her eyes, took a deep breath of the night air, stretching her arms to the sky, almost becoming one with the night and the earth around her. Then she opened her eyes and sat down, looking out over the ocean once more.  
  
Gohan walked over to her and sat down beside her, taking her hand in his own. She smiled, still looking out onto the ocean. They must have stayed like that for hours, looking out at the open sea, and sometimes staring over the edge, watching as the small waves gently lapped the edge of the beach.  
  
As the first rays of dawn slipped over the edge of the ocean the water was tinted pink, and then orange. Veracia slowly went limp as the sun rose until it was fully above the horizon, and then she was fully asleep.  
  
Gohan looked at her, joy and love present in his eyes, a smile on his face, as he lifted her into his arms, and flew toward his house. She awoke halfway through the journey and looked up at Gohan's face, moving a piece of hair off his forehead, sticking it straight up so it would be like the rest of his hair. It stood up straight for a few moments and then fell back down again. Veracia laughed and then fell back asleep.  
  
As they arrived at his house, Gohan landed and slipped back through the open window to Goten's room, ducking so he wouldn't hit either of their heads on the top. He then gently laid Veracia on his bed and slipped a thin sheet up to her shoulders. He crept silently over to the window and shut it, before going to bed himself. He laid down next her, but on top of the sheet, pulling a different one over himself. Just in case Chi-Chi decided to check on them, he could quickly slip off the bed and onto the floor. For now, he put his arm around her waist, and fell asleep, holding her tight.  
  
Veracia awoke to the sun's light playing on her eyelids and she could feel Gohan's strong arm holding her tight to him, wrapped around her waist. She felt happy, blissful, and protected in his arms, by his side, but she knew it was time to get up. She rolled over until she was facing him, and kissed him on the lips to gently wake him up. His eyes fluttered open and as soon as he focused them, he ended up staring into the clear pools of lightning blue that were Veracia's eyes. The moment felt so perfect, her lying next to him in the early afternoon sun, so close to one another, but they both knew that it must end, Gohan sat up and leaned on the back board of the bed. Veracia stood up and started stretching and she could sense that Gohan was watching her.  
  
she thought as she stretched her arms. she thought as she finished her stretching and went to sit back down next to Gohan.  
  
***  
  
he thought, as he pushed a strand of loose hair behind her ear.   
  
***  
  
she thought as she dropped her face into her hands, beginning to cry. she thought, her hands drenched with tears.  
  
***  
  
Gohan looked at her and almost started crying himself. He brought her close to him and held her tight, but then she seemed to cry even harder. But suddenly, she stopped, and looked up at him. Then, wiping the tears from her eyes, she stood up and walked toward the window. She closed her eyes as she looked skyward, and let the wind play with her hair for a moment, before she climbed out the window, looked back at Gohan for a moment, and then went tearing off into the woods.  
  
***  
  
A/N: HIs! This is the revised version! After now bothering with this fic for over a year, I decided I was going to work on it again! Redo some of the wording, take stuff out and add stuff in here and there. And I didn't realize until now just how quickly Gohan and Veracia fall in love...oops...I also didn't realize how sappy it is, but then again, it does get depression really soon! Well, jaa! 


	4. Chapter 3: Heart and Soul Ripped Apart

*Disclaimer: I don't won DBZ...But I do own characters like Veracia, Serokuri, and Serakusa, so please don't use them with out my permission!!*  
  
An Opposite Future: An Alternate Love  
  
Chapter 3: Heart and Soul Ripped Apart  
  
Veracia screamed inside her head, running through the forest faster now, anger, sadness, and loneliness mixing together, confusion taking over.  
  
What do I do to ignore them behind me?   
  
Do I follow my instincts blindly?   
  
Do I hide my pride from these bad dreams, I can't stop thinking about what life would be like without him.  
  
And give in to sad thoughts that are maddening? I love him...but Father will never let us be together!  
  
Do I sit here and try to stand it?   
  
Or do I try to catch them red-handed?   
  
Do I trust some and get fooled by phoniness,   
  
Or do I trust nobody and live in loneliness?   
  
Because I can't hold on when I'm stretched so thin, I  
  
I make the right moves but I'm lost within.   
  
I put on my daily façade but then, I  
  
I just end up getting hurt again.   
  
By myself (Myself)   
  
I ask why, but in my mind,   
  
I find I can't rely on myself. I  
  
I can't hold on, I  
  
To what I want when I'm stretched so thin.   
  
It's all too much to take in.   
  
I can't hold on, I  
  
To anything watching everything spin. I  
  
With thoughts of failure sinking in.   
  
If I turn my back I'm defenseless,   
  
And to go blindly seems senseless.   
  
If I hide my pride and let it all go on,   
  
Then they'll take from me 'till everything is gone.   
  
If I let them go I'll be outdone,   
  
But if I try to catch them I'll be outrun.   
  
If I'm killed by the questions like a cancer, I can't take what he'll say!  
  
Then I'll be buried in the silence of the answer. I can't live with his choice!  
  
(By myself) I  
  
How do you think I've lost so much, I  
  
I'm so afraid, I'm out of touch. I  
  
How do you expect I will know what to do,   
  
When all I know is what you tell me to. I can only do what Father tells me!  
  
Don't you know,   
  
I can't tell you how to make it go. I  
  
No matter what I do, how hard I try,   
  
I can't seem to convince myself why. I can't convince Father to let me love him.  
  
I'm stuck on the outside. I'll be stuck out of reach of Gohan forever!....  
  
***  
  
She was running blindly, tree branches whipping across her face, blood streaming down, running into her eyes, pouring over her lips. She ran onward until she reached the small clearing in the forest that her and Gohan had been in the night before.  
  
She was torn and bloody now, her pants and shirt ripped to shreds, her face sliced open and bleeding badly. She left a trail of blood on the high grasses as she made her way to the center of the field, and collapsed.  
  
I put on my daily facade but then...I just end up getting hurt again...By myself...I'm stuck on the outside...God help me, I'm lost again...Inside myself...I don't know what to do, what to think...By myself...I love him....  
  
And then the beautiful spring day faded to black.  
  
***  
  
"Veracia!" Gohan called out into the forest. He had leapt out the window only seconds after she had, but since she was half Saiyan, as well as he, she ran through the woods just as fast as he was. He knew he wouldn't be able to spot her through the thick canopy, so he decided to look for her on foot instead of flying. "Veracia!" he called out, yet again. Gohan yelled at Vegeta inside his head, as he frantically pushed back branches, trying desperately to find Veracia, and then a thought struck him. So Gohan took off, flying through the tree tops into the open air at full speed, almost blowing apart the trees in the process. He was so infuriated by Vegeta's lack of love for his one and only daughter that he had gone Super Saiyan with out even realizing it. His blood felt as hot as liquid metal as it pumped through his veins, enraged by Vegeta's stupidity, until the fire that raged inside him cooled, as he found Veracia, a bloody, mangled mess, in the grass in the meadow below. He could see where she had ventured out of the woods and into the middle of the field, the path marked by her blood.  
  
He quickly flew down to her side, and pushed some bloody, tangled pieces of hair away from her face. He knelt down beside her and lifted her up into his arms. It was only then that he noticed the extent of her injuries, her left foot was twisted in as odd direction and the back of what was left of her shirt was soaked with blood. Where she had laid, blood soaked the ground and dyed the grasses red. A tear rolled off his cheek and landed on hers, washing some of the blood away as it trickled down, but when it rolled off her cheek, it was not clear, but almost as red as blood itself, as it was whisked away by the wind when Gohan took off towards Bulma's house. She was the best doctor he knew, and the one he trusted the most. He held Veracia close as he flew as fast as he could to Capsule Corp. By the time he arrived, his shirt was soaked by Veracia's blood, but what he couldn't understand was how she could've been hurt so badly by mere branches. She was, after all, half Saiyan.   
  
Gohan was misty eyed as he rang the door bell of Bulma's and Trunks' home. Trunks was the one to open the door, not the person Gohan really wanted to see right now.  
  
"Oh, hello Gohan. What's...," he stopped dead in his sentence as he noticed the reason why Gohan had decided to come over. He started to shake as he noticed the full damage Veracia had absorbed.  
  
"Trunks, go get your mother." Trunks nodded and turned around slowly, then ran off in the direction of Bulma.  
  
"Hey Trunks, what's up?" Bulma asked Trunks casually as he entered the room where she was working on her new invention.  
  
"Mom, we have a problem, it's Veracia," Trunks barely managed to get out.  
  
"What do you mean Trunks?" Bulma asked him, now a worried look on her face.  
  
Trunks made a motion for her to follow him, so she dropped the wrench she had been holding and quickly followed Trunks to the front door, where she saw the little-recognizable Veracia.  
  
"Oh my God...Gohan! What happened to her?!" Bulma asked Gohan after she had frantically ran to the worried young man that stood before her.  
  
"I don't know...One moment she was fine, sitting right next to me...The next second she was crying and running off into the woods...When I found her, she was like this...I-I didn't know what to do, so I thought I'd bring her here...If I brought her to the hospital, there would be a lot of suspicion, so I brought her here to you Bulma, to see what you could do...," Gohan said, trying to hold back tears.  
  
"Bring her this way Gohan, follow me," Bulma said as she led Gohan to the medical facility part of Capsule Corp. "Lay her down on the examination table, so I can see the full extent of her injuries."  
  
Gohan gently placed Veracia on the metal table, Trunks watching from a distance. Trunks thought.   
  
Bulma put on a pair of rubber doctor's gloves and grabbed a tub full of water and a syringe, to rinse the blood off of Veracia. Soon they could see the full extent of her wounds. The left side of her face was sliced open and only now starting to stop bleeding, along with some other minor cuts on the right side. From what they could see, her left ankle was badly broken and her arms and legs were covered in abrasions and muscle deep wounds. Her feet were shredded, since she had had on only socks, which there was no sign of now.  
  
Bulma began to rinse out some of the deep wounds with antiseptic through a syringe so she could later stitch them shut. Veracia began to wake as Bulma was cleaning out one of the deeper gashes on her right leg.  
  
"Huh? What-What's going on?" Veracia said as she tried to sit up, but then fell back down, grabbing her head. "Ahhh...What happened?...I feel like I ran into a tree...and the tree won."  
  
"Pretty close," said Bulma, managing a smile.  
  
"What??" Veracia asked, now confused more than before.  
  
"You ran off through the forest Veracia...And when I found you...," began Gohan, looking away.  
  
A wave of pain, both emotional and physical, spread like a rushing torrent through her body. She trembled at the shock it gave her, she hadn't expected it to be this bad. I she thought to herself. She lifted her hand to her cheek and felt the long gash down her face. she thought, as the tears welled up in her eyes and soon overflowed to stream down her cheeks. She closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at any of them. I love him...but there's something wrong deep inside me..like a hot poker driven though my heart...I don't know what to do...What should I do? What can I do? She thought as she faded back into unconsciousness, the black creeping back over her, her body going limp once again.  
  
"Poor child," Bulma said, almost on the verge on tears.  
  
"It's not her fault," Gohan said, tears of anger in his eyes. "If Vegeta had taken better care of her, this would've never happened!" Gohan started flashing between super saiyan and his normal self.  
  
"What?!" Bulma asked, nearly dropping the syringe. "Vegeta is her father?! No wonder! The poor girl. It's a shame someone as kind and loving as her was born into the hands of such an idiot..Such a-a monster...Why I'd like to...!" and then she broke off, and the glass syringe broke in her hand as she clenched her fist. "Ah!" she screamed in surprise, as a piece of glass cut through the glove and imbedded itself in the flesh of her hand. Biting her lower lip, she pulled the piece of glass out of her hand and quickly discarded it in a medical waste basket.  
  
She then flushed out her hand with antiseptic, made sure there was no more glass stuck in it, smeared some ointment on it, and wrapped it in some gauze.  
  
After she put on a new set of rubber gloves, she threaded a sterile needle, and began to sew up the deep wound in Veracia's leg.  
  
***  
  
A/N: And that's it for Chapter 3, revised edition! I didn't realize there were that many mistakes, and sorry for all the awkward wording and grammer, but I hope you liked it anyway! Now I must revise Chapter 4! C ya! (oh, and REVIEW!!...please?....Thanks!) 


	5. Chapter 4: Melody of the Heart

An Opposite Future: An Alternate Love  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. I never have, I never will...Although I would really like too...  
  
A/N: This story is an alternate universe. It is what occured when Gohan met someone else before he met Videl. It's turning out to be just fluff so far, but it does get better, I promise you that. Well, enjoy!  
  
Chapter 4: Melody of the Heart  
  
Veracia wasn't awake again until Bulma had been long done on sewing shut her wounds and bandaging the rest. Gohan had been so worried before that he hadn't even thought of going to Korin's Tower to get a sensu bean for Veracia, so he left for one when she was still unconscious after Bulma had finished with her. Her left ankle was in a cast now and her foot was pointing in a more natural direction.  
  
As Gohan walked into Veracia's room to see how she was doing (the sensu bean in his right hand), she slowly awoke from her unconscious state, the first person she sees being Gohan at her side. She felt horrible, knowing what she must've put him through, but still he gave hre a loving smile.  
  
"Here, eat this," he said, as he bent down to put the sensu bean in her mouth.  
  
She chewed it as quickly as she dould and swallowed, even though this was not a brief moment, because her face was sore from getting stitches and there were other cuts and scrapes over it too. As soon as she swallowed it, though, she felt her lost energy start to replenish and she could feel how the wounds were closing up and healing shut. She lifted one of her hands to the huge gash that had been down her cheek and it was now...gone. She could feel the scar that had been left in its place, but it was healed. The same with her ankle and the deep gash in her leg.  
  
Gohan looked down at her and smiled. "Flesh wounds can almost always be healed easily," said Gohan as he knelt by Veracia's side. "but the wounds inside your mind, and inside your heart, sometimes they never heal."  
  
Gohan stood up and walked over to a boom-bow that was on a table near the foot of her bed. He stopped and put his hand on the stereo. "But some thins can change with time, Veracia," he said, looking straight into her eyes. "I want to make sure that what happened to you today, will never happen again." He then clicked on the stereo and a song started playing..."Crash and Burn"...Gohan walked over to Veracia and took her hand in his before he started to sing along with the song...  
  
When you feel all alone,  
  
And the world has turned its back on you.....Gohan caressed her face and tilted her chin up until her eyes were gazing into his.  
  
Give me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart.  
  
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you.  
  
It's hard to fing relief and people can be so cold...."But I'll always be there for you," he whispered to her quickly.  
  
When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore...  
  
Let me be the one you call,  
  
If you jump I'll break your fall....He pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear, still looking into her eyes.  
  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night.  
  
If you need to fall apart,  
  
I can mend a broken heart.  
  
If you need to crash then crash and burn,  
  
You're not alone...."You'll never be alone again, Veracia. I promise...," Gohan whispered into her ear.  
  
When you feel all alone,  
  
And a loyal friend is hard to find...He grasped both her hands in his  
  
You're caught in a oneway street,  
  
With the monsters in your head.  
  
When hopes and dreams seem far way and  
  
You feel like you can't face the day...  
  
Let me be the one you call..."I'll always be there for you."  
  
If you jump I'll break your fall.  
  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night....."You'll never fall again, not with me here."  
  
If you need to fall apart,  
  
I can mend a broken heart.  
  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
  
You're not alone...."And never will be again."  
  
Because there has always been heart ache and pain,  
  
and when its over you'll breathe again.  
  
You'll breathe again.  
  
When you feel all alone,  
  
And the world has turned its back on you.  
  
Give me a moment please,  
  
To tame your wild wild heart.  
  
Let me be the one you call.  
  
If you jump I'll break your fall.  
  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night.  
  
If you need to fall apart,  
  
I can mend a broken heart.  
  
If you need to crash then crash and burn.  
  
You're not alone...."You're not alone," he whispered into her ear. He looked into her eyes for a moment, and then leaned towards her, brushing his lips against hers. Gohan let go of her hands and smiled as he stood up and then walked out of the recovery room that she was in to fetch Bulma.  
  
"Hello, Gohan. Have you checked on Veracia yet?"  
  
"Yes, and I gave her a sensu bean."  
  
"Great! So how does she look now? Does she feel better?'  
  
"All of her wounds are healed, aside from some faint scars, and her ki is back up to the level that is was before." But it's not her physical wounds that I'm worried about, it's the ones on her heart that scare me the most.  
  
"That's wonderful! So, should I go remove the stitches?"  
  
"I guess...It's pretty safe to do that now, although she is awake."  
  
"Well, it shouldn't hurt her that bad...But I'm sure she's appreciate it if you gave her your hand to squeeze if it really hurt her."  
  
"All right. That sounds good...So are you going to remove them now?"  
  
"Yeah, I don't want the wounds to heal over the stitches."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Gohan and Bulma walked into the room where Veracia had been recovering, but was fine now. She was actually sitting on the edge of the bed having her feet dangling off the side. She had removed most of the bandages herself, and they were laying in a small pile on the center of the bed, since she couldn't find the trash pail. she had torn the IV needle out of her arm and it now hung loosely from the machine.  
  
She looked perfectly healthy. She was wearing one of Bulma's old Capsule Corp. shirts and a pair of her faded blue jeans.  
  
"Wow, they fit you pretty well, and don't look half bad either. I'm glad that someone can fit into those...I haven't been able to wear them in forever."  
  
"So, what's up?" Veracia asked them, a smile on her face.  
  
"Well, now that your wounds are healed, we can remove all of those nasty stitches," said Bulma.  
  
"Oh, fun," Veracia said sarcastially, her smile fading just a bit.  
  
"Don't worry," Gohan said, walking over and sitting down next to her. "Here," he said, taking her hand in his own. "When ever it hurts, just sqeeze my hand, okay?"  
  
"All right," Veracia said, now smiling again, slightly blushing.  
  
I knew it! Bulma thought to herself. I thought I saw somehing between the those two! they have the same kind and caring hearts. They're perfect for each other. Bulma smiled as she looked at the two of them. She already had on a pair of rubber gloves and had just opened up a draw and pulled out a pair of medical scissors.  
  
"Okay. Ready, Veracia?"  
  
"Ready," she said, looking at Gohan.  
  
"A1l right. Now Veracia, this is going to hurt."  
  
Veracia grimaced and lightly squeezed Gohan's hand. In less than 10 minutes, Bulma had finished all the stitches, and Veracia looked almost normal again, aside from some faint scars.  
  
"All done!" Bulma declared as she removed the cast from Veracia's ankle. Bulma had washed Veracia's hair while she had been unconscious before, so when Veracia got up and walked across the room, she looked as if nothing had even happened. But the mental scars would stay with Veracia forever. She shook that through from her head though, and smiled as she walked back across the room and sat on the bed again, but cross legged.  
  
I can't believe I ran away from them...These are the best friends I've had yet...And yet...I don't know...But they've won my trust, soemthing most people never gain from me...And Gohan...I owe him my life..He went after me to look for me after I ran off...and if he hadn't found me, I'd be...I'd be...dead...So this is what everyone else means by true and loyal friends...I don't think I'll ever have to run away again...Maybe away from home...but not away from my life...Never again...  
  
"So, Veracia, how do you feel?" asked Bulma.  
  
"The best I've felt in a long time," said Veracia, looking from Bulma to Trunks, and stopping at Gohan. "I've finally found true friends. People who truly love me and to whom I can trust." Veracia's eyes started to water, along with Gohan's and Bulma's. Trunks was just in a state of shock. He had been Veracia's friend for the past two years, but he had always went to school, did homework, and the rest. He never realized that she had been hurt so much, she did so much to cover all of it. Bust she was different, and now thay all knew just what she had been hiding on the inside, and just what she needed the most, friendship and love.  
  
"But I don't know how my father is going to react to this," Veracia said as she thought what Vegeta would do if he ever found out. "He just wouldn't understand."  
  
"What?" Bulma asked, puzzled. "Who's your father? What would he have against any of us?" Wait, on no..I forgot...  
  
"I know, but that's just the way he is. You wouldn't know unless you've met him his name's Vegeta."  
  
With that, Bulma looked like she was going to have a heart attack. Her eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of her head they were open so wide. I had totally forgotten...How much he hates Goku's family...That was why he...That was why he...Wait a second...After the shock had someone deminishes, she just kept looking back and forth between Trunks and Veracia. Everyone else was looking at Bulma as if she had finally lost it.  
  
"No, it can't be...There's no way...They do look similar though...And around the same age." That bastard...He went out and had a kid right after he left me!...It never struck me before...  
  
Gohan nudged Trunks. "Trunks, has your Mom lost it?"  
  
"I think she finally might have," Trunks replied, still looking at his mother.  
  
Bulma's glance then rested on Veracia.  
  
"Tell me, what day were you born Veracia?" asked Bulma.  
  
"April 25, but..." Now Trunks' eyes were wide with wonder.  
  
"And how old are you?"  
  
"Fifteen, but I don't see..."  
  
"I knew it!"  
  
"Huh?" Gohan and Veracia said, confused. Trunks was just looking curiously at Bulma. What's she getting at?  
  
Bulma then turned her glance away from Veracia and looked at Trunks.  
  
"Um...honey, there was something I've been meaning to tell you."  
  
"What?" asked Trunks, a little scared of the answer, but still surious.  
  
"I never told you who your father was and...I think it's about time you knew..."  
  
"Mom, what are you talking about? I thought Yamcha was..."  
  
Bulma shook her head no. She then took a deep breath and let it out.  
  
"Trunks, your real father is Vegeta."  
  
Trunks and Veracia both almost fell when they heard that. They stared at one another for a few minutes, trying to figure this out.  
  
"Yeah, they do look similar," Gohan said, looking from one to the other.  
  
"I-I've been wondering why I always looked at you as my sister, more than just a friend," Trunks said, still looking at Veracia.  
  
"Yeah, same here, only...I looked at you as a brother."  
  
"What's even odder is that you were born on the same day...almost like twins...Isn't that odd?" Damn that Vegeta! I can't believe him! He went off and got someone else pregnant after me...I'd like to kill him...to rip off his head and feed it to rabid wolves...and then... Bulma hadn't noticed everyone was staring at her when she came back from her thoughts. She looked down at her hands, realizing they were tight fists and hid them behind her back. then she put on a fake smile and pretended that nothing happened. They all got the hint and started where their conversation left off.  
  
* * *  
  
A/N: That's it for this chapter!! And just think, I still have 16 more pages of stuff that I need to type up!! (Back and front none the less.) How I managed that, I'm still not too sure. Oh well! Ja!! 


	6. Chapter 5: A Small Sensu Bean: A Big Mis...

An Opposite Future: An Opposite Love  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. I can't call upon Shenlong to wish that it will become mine. Therefore, don't sue me for writing this! The only things I own are the alternate universe in which it takes place, Veracia, and her mother.  
  
A/N: Lots of stuff happens in this chapter. It's not as mushy, but pretty good anyways. Actually, this one's kind-of funny...Enjoy!!  
  
Chapter 5: A Small Sensu Bean; A Big Mistake  
  
"Wow, who would've thought that we were brother and sister...And yet, it makes so much sense...I've been wondering for so long why I don't look or act anything like Yamcha...At all...," Trunks said, smiling, relieved that he wasn't related to that idiot after all. "So Vegeta is my father...Wait...Gohan, didn't you say he was a 'Saiyan' or something like that?"  
  
"Yeah...Why?"  
  
"Well, I've always why I always felt this immense power inside me...Something that I've sensed not many others have...I know you have it Gohan...So does Veracia...But I always wondered why many others don't have it...Is it because I'm part Saiyan?"  
  
"Yes, that's the reason. The Saiyans were a very powerful race, many years ago, and had control of many planets, but Frieza changed that. He thought they were becoming too powerful...That they would overpower him...So he killed them. He destroyed their entire planet. Only two weren't killed. Your father, Vegeta, who served as his minion for many years, and my father, Goku, who was sent to Earth as a child and raised here."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me before, Gohan?!"  
  
"Because I didn't know you were a Saiyan, of half-Saiyan in your case."  
  
"But didn't you sense this power inside me?"  
  
"Yes, but sometimes humans have that power...Although there are only a few."  
  
"Really, who?"  
  
"Well, their power doesn't amount up to that of a Saiyan, but they are still pretty strong. Hmm...Well, there's Krillin, Tien, Master Roshi, Yamcha, and Piccilo...But he's a Namekian."  
  
"A what?"  
  
"That's another story..."  
  
"Okay...but anyway...So I'm half Saiyan and Vegeta is my father."  
  
"Yup," said Bulma.  
  
"And I'm 15 years old and just finding this out now?" Trunks said, sounding a bit aggitated.  
  
"Uh-huh," said Bulma.  
  
"Yep," said Gohan  
  
"Guess so," said Veracia.  
  
"What am I, the last one to know everything?"  
  
"Don't worry, you're not alone," Veracia said patting him on the shoulder. They all laughed.  
  
"Oh well," Trunks said, running his fingers through his lilac hair.  
  
"Bulma?" Veracia asked.  
  
"Yeah?" she answered.  
  
"Does Vegeta know he has a son? That I have a brother?"  
  
Bulma's eyes widened and her jaw dropped as sweatdrops formed on the sides of her face. "I never did...I always wanted to call him and tell him, but when I'd call, there'd be no answer, or no one would be there...And here we are...Fifteen years later...And he still doesn't know...Oops," Bulma said, pulling on a chunk of her hair.  
  
"Shouldn't you tell him?" Trunks and Veracia both said at the same time.  
  
"Yeah, I guess I should...But Veracia, I don't know if he'll let you be friends with Trunks if he finds out."  
  
"Why wouldn't he, if he's his son and all?"  
  
"Becaue he's my son too, and even though we were in lobe once, we aren't anymore...And from the looks of it, he's been trying to avoid me as much as he can." Only Veracia noticed the pain in her eyes as she told them this. Veracia could see she was on the verge of tears, but only for a second, as she pushed them away.  
  
Who would have thought that even after all this time she still loves him. Poor Bulma...If she only knew. I know my father still loves her, he keeps a picture of her on his dresser and in his wallet...The only reasons he left were because he didn't want to be with anyone who was a friend of Kakarot. That, and she tended to be bossy...If only these two weren't such big idiots, they would realize that they both still love each other...Oh well, maybe I'll try a little something later on to help them?"  
  
"But, oh well. Vegeta, he can be such an idiot sometimes."  
  
Veracia snapped back from her thoughts. "Yeah, he never looks deep enough with anyone. He only looks at heir outside, like thier heritege, never their inside, never their heart. Which is why I doubt he will accept any of this."  
  
They all sighed and nodded in agreeement.  
  
"Oh well," said Gohan. "Vegeta is a little thick headed...But on a lighter note, I just got a great idea!" Bulma looked kind-of scared at that remark, but Trunks and Veracia looked at him with curiosity. "Don't worry, Bulma, it's not like my last idea." Bulma then looked relieved.  
  
"What happened the last time you got a 'great idea', Gohan?" asked Veracia.  
  
"Let's just say we had to rebuild part of Capsule Corp," now Veracia looked worried. "No! Don't worry, this is much better than that idea." Now Trunks looked worried too. "What?! What is wrong with you guys? Am I honestly that bad?"  
  
"Yes," all three of them said at the same time.  
  
"Oh, well, thanks a lot," Gohan said sarcastically. "But anyway, I think it would be a great idea if Trunks and Veracia learned how to fly...I mean, anyone who is capable of learning it should learn how...You guys do have the strength."  
  
"That sounds awesome," said Trunks.  
  
"Yeah, definately," said Veracia.  
  
"Alright then, when do you wnat to start?"  
  
"Now," Veracia and Trunks said at the same time.  
  
"What? Now?!" asked Gohan, surprised at how enthusiastic they were.  
  
"Yes," they said simutaneously again.  
  
"But Veracia," Bulma began. "You just got well again. Shouldn't you get at least some rest?"  
  
"No," Veracia said with a smile. "I feel just great, in fact, I haven't felt this good in a long time...Actually...I feel kind of hyper," she said, as she began to tap her foot on the ground. "Really hyper." She started jumping up and down.  
  
"Veracia, what are you doing?" Trunks asked.  
  
"I don't know, but I can'r stop. I've got way too much excess energy."  
  
"Uh-oh," Gohan said, as he followed Veracia with his eyes. "I was afraid this might happen."  
  
"Afraid what might happen Gohan?" Bulma asked.  
  
"Well, sense beans contain a lot of energy, so they're great when you are hurt badly, almost fatally wounded, because they replenish next to near, if not all of your energy."  
  
"Yeah, and-?"  
  
"Well, apparently, that was too much for Veracia. It seems that she wasn't as horribly injured as we thought."  
  
"What are we supposed to do now?! How are we supposed to calm her down?!"  
  
"We kind-of...um...can't."  
  
"And how long is this going to last?"  
  
"I'm not sure...Any where from a couple of hours...To a couple of days."  
  
"A couple of days?!" Bulma and Trunks said together.  
  
"This is bad," Trunks said, as he watched as Veracia still jumped up and down.  
  
"Well, I guess this would be a good time to teach her how to fly then. It would use up a lot of her excess energy."  
  
"I don't think we have much of a choice," said Bulma. "Is she keeps this up, she'll either hurt herself, or break a lot of stuff."  
  
"Okay, then let's try together to go outside."  
  
"K," Bulma and Trunks said.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Well, what'd ya think? Please, R&R! I know that chapter was short, but chapter 6 is coming up soon!  
  
Sneak Preview:  
  
Chapter 6: Flying Lessons  
  
"Um...well..err, let's get started?..." It sounded more like a question than a statement.  
  
"OKAY!" Veracia almosr screamed. Trunks looked frightened.  
  
"Let's see, how should I explain this?" Gohan asked himseld as he nervously scratched the back of his head. "Well, try to focus all of your ki in your body and-"  
  
"Huh? What's that?"  
  
"You don't know what ki is?" Trunks and Gohan asked Veracia a the same time.  
  
"No...Is that bad?"  
  
"Has Vegeta taught you anything?!"  
  
"Not really..."  
  
***  
  
A/N: Tune in next chapter for: Chapter 6: Flying Lessons. See ya soon! (I hope...Really hope...) **Note: Because An Opposite Future: The Beginning of the Change, was not being read, and I have no time to work on it, it had been removed from fanfiction.net.** Ja ne! 


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